Mayhap it was the parrot that threw them off....

As for language...most times, since other groups know that they're going
to a station run by the Earth Alliance, they'll take time to get the basic
language down. But, of course, there are always equivilants of the Ugly
American who doesn't have the time. In those cases, there will be a
computerized translator, under which we will faintly hear their actual
language. And, from time to time, it could be fun to have two different
species at an impasse because neither understands the other.

One of our regular characters will normally use the second method of the
computerized translator because we will never see his....

Oops. Too soon.
Never mind.

jms